'Suryakumar Yadav should definitely captain a side in IPL' - Sadagoppan Ramesh lauds MI batter's leadership skills

Ramesh to MI: Make SKY your captain. The numbers back it.

Former India batter Sadagoppan Ramesh has dropped a clear signal to Mumbai Indians—elevate Suryakumar Yadav to full-time IPL captain. His comes hot on MI's disappointing IPL 2026, where they finished 9th and missed the playoffs well ahead of schedule. Captaincy in the VIP box isn't a given; it's an asset class, and Ramesh thinks SKY is undervalued right now.

Why Ramesh backs him: He credits SKY's "player's captain" approach—man-management, calm under pressure, honest two-way communication. The standout example? The T20 WC earlier this year. When Sanju Samson was rotated in and out, SKY didn't ghost him. He sat down, communicated transparently, and Samson—shockingly selfless—urged the skipper to pick the strongest XI. That's leadership maturity most captains skip entirely.

The track record is elite: Since taking over India's T20I side in 2024, SKY has won the 2026 T20 World Cup and 2025 Asia Cup. Across 52 T20Is, he's gone 40-8 (77% win rate), with series clinched in South Africa and Australia. That's not a small sample—those are away wins against quality attacks.

The IPL caveat: SKY has only led MI in 5 games (2023-26) and never as permanent skipper. During IPL 2026, Hardik Pandya wore the armband with SKY as vice-captain. Ramesh's read: that's a misallocation. If MI want ROI on their star batter's leadership capital, the move is obvious.

My take? A 77% international win rate and clean man-management don't lie. MI's been coasting on brand; SKY would force the culture to turn. Question is whether the franchise is ready to pay up for it.

Source: Crictracker